jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第6章

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　cautioned　her　not　to　get　faked　into　grabbing　one　too　soon　but　in　the　first　round　feigned　a　grab　and　tricked　her。　Laughing　as　they　played；　they　shared　a　good　feeling。　Finally；　Carmen　announced　it　was　time　for　swimming。
　They　spent　the　next　hour　jumping　off　the　stern　into　the　warm　blue　waters。　Finally；　exhausted；　the　kids　stretched　out　on　the　bow　to　warm　themselves　while　Ron　and　Carmen　settled　in　the　stern。
　〃You're　being　too　obvious；　you　know？〃　Carmen　said。　〃About　Rosa；　I　mean。　You　can't　force　her　to　want　to　go　to　Bermuda。〃
　〃I　know。　I　gave　up　after　the　navigation　debacle。〃
　〃That　was　pretty　funny。　Trying　to　get　a　teenager　to　like　sailing　by　teaching　her　geometry。　Did　you　notice　things　went　better　after　you　stopped　trying？〃
　〃Well；　we　did　have　a　good　time　after　lunch。　But　we　can　play　cards　at　home。　That　has　nothing　to　do　with　sailing；〃
　〃But　we　don't　play　cards　at　home。　The　kids　have　their　friends　and　TV。　You　and　I　have　our　jobs；　and　we　tend　to　bring　them　home　with　us。　When　was　the　last　time　we　played　cards？　I　mean　all　of　us；　as　a　family？〃
　Carmen　was　right；　Ron　admitted。　The　isolation　of　offshore　sailing　had　brought　them　together。　Perhaps　Rosa　would　never　love　sailing；　but　the　experience　might　help　meld　the　family。　That　was　more　important　than　a　sail　to　Bermuda；　Ron　told　himself。　He　tried　telling　himself　that　again；　but　still　a　part　of　him　wanted　Bermuda；　and　it　wasn't　looking　good。　Ron　leaned　back；　looking　up　into　the　clear　blue　sky；　and　silently　hoped　nothing　else　would　go　wrong。
　
　5。　　　HOSTAGES
　
　I　was　awakened　this　morning　by　the　sound　of　pounding　on　my　roof。　I　went　to　the　window　to　see　a　most　surprising　sight。　Dried　fish　were　pouring　from　the　sky　onto　the　houses　ond　into　the　street。　When　the　shower　ended　the　natives　collected　the　fish　into　baskets。　My　aide　estimated　that　3000　to　4000　fish　had　fallen。
　…Colonel　Witherspoon；　India　；1836
　
　Ashland；　Oregon
　PREQUILT：　SATURDAY；　3：40　P。M。　PST
　
　　Deputy　Sheriff　Robin　Kyle　was　parked　with　his　feet　stretched　out　on　the　front　seat　of　his　patrol　car。　He　wasn't　asleep　but　was　only　about　one　level　of　consciousness　away；　his　eyes　partially　open；　semialert　for　criminal　activity。　Of　course　much　criminal　activity…or　even　traffic…would　be　rare　on　this　particular　dirt　road。　That　was　why　Kyle　had　picked　this　patrol。　He　had　no　intention　of　ruining　a　beautiful　fall　day　by　actually　catching　a　criminal。　He　wasn't　lazy；　exactly；　it　was　just　that　relaxation　came　naturally　to　him；　and　since　there　was　very　little　real　crime　in　Jackson　county；　he　believed　he　was　making　best　use　of　his　time。
　Occasional　calls　and　assignments　could　be　heard　over　his　radio　speaker；　but　he　had　turned　the　radio　down　low　enough　so　it　didn't　distract　him。　A　horse　clip…clopped　past　his　cruiser；　ridden　by　a　teenage　girl。　Kyle　alternated　between　watching　the　rider's　and　horse's　rears　wiggle　rhythmically。　He　picked　up　his　radar　gun　and　aimed　it　at　the　retreating　behinds。　Too　bad；　he　thought；　they're　within　the　legal　limit。　He　was　still　watching　the　behinds　when　he　heard　his　unit　number。　He　ignored　it　the　first　time　but　reluctantly　answered　it　after　the　second　call。
　〃Sorry　to　bother　you　while　you're　so　busy；　Kyle；〃　Karon；　the　dispatcher　said；　as　if　she　knew　what　he　was　doing。　〃But　we　got　a　call　that　only　you　can　answer。　Seems　they've　got　a　hostage　situation　in　the　Oregon　Caves。〃
　Kyle　pounded　the　side　of　his　head　like　something　was　stuck　in　his　ear。
　〃You　said　in　the　Oregon　Caves？　What　kind　of　hostage　situation；　Karon？〃
　〃The　usual　kind；　Kyle！　Someone　with　a　gun　is　holding　a　dozen　people　hostage　down　in　the　caves。　Says　he　won't　kill　them　as　long　as　no　one　interferes。〃
　Kyle　was　trying　to　understand　why　someone　had　selected　a　cave　to　take　hostages　in。　Certainly　it　would　be　a　difficult　place　to　assault；　and　guns　would　be　almost　useless。　Any　wayward　shot　would　ricochet　wildly；　killing　indiscriminately。　Still　it　wasn't　like　hijacking　a　jet。　A　jet　could　take　you　somewhere。　Even　a　bus　could　do　that；　but　not　a　cave。　And　this　particular　cave　was　in　the　middle　of　nowhere。
　〃That's　mighty　peculiar；　Karon；〃　Kyle　cut　in。　〃Someone　selecting　a　cave　to　hold　hostages　in！　I　got　a　dollar　says　he　wants　free　transportation　to　a　worker's　paradise　somewhere。　Have　there　been　any　demands？〃
　〃Negative；　Kyle。　You　ready　for　the　strange　part？　The　guy　with　the　gun　says　he's　saving　the　people　in　the　cave。　Says　he　doesn't　want　to　be　alone　after　it　happens。〃
　〃After　what　happens？〃
　〃After　the　world　ends。〃
　〃What　do　they　want　me　for？〃
　〃They're　looking　for　officers　with　cave　experience。　They　heard　about　your　rescue　training。〃
　Kyle　winced　at　the　mention　of　that。　He　had　taken　the　special　training　as　an　excuse　to　take　two　weeks　off；　drink　beer　with　some　friends　of　his；　and　get　a　little　extra　in　the　paycheck　each　month。　In　the　two　years　since　the　training　he　had　helped　recover　one　dead　body　from　a　plane　wreck；　and　helped　pull　a　hiker　with　a　broken　leg　up　a　twenty…five…foot　slope。　Kyle　wanted　to　tell　Karon　that　his　training　was　for　rescuing　people　who　want　to　be　rescued；　not　for　going　in　after　some　self…destructive　nut。　Kyle　didn't　seem　to　have　a　choice；　however。
　〃Okay；　Karon；　tell　them　I'll　pick　up　some　gear　and　head　on　over；　but　it'll　take　a　couple　of　hours。〃　Kyle　was　hoping　the　situation　would　be　resolved　long　before　he　could　get　involved。
　〃They　know　that；　Kyle；　they　said　there　was　no　hurry。　The　guy　in　the　cave　isn't　going　anywhere。〃
　
　6。　　　KID　WITH　A　GUN
　
　Not　one　will　get　away；　none　will　escape。　Though　they　dig　down　to　the　depths　of　the　grave　from　there　my　hand　will　take　them。
　…Amos；　9：12
　
　Oregon　Caves
　PREQUILT：　SATURDAY；　3：42　P。M。　PST
　
　　Ellen　and　Terry　were　sitting　down；　using　each　other　as　backrests。　Most　of　the　others　in　the　cave　were　either　lying　down　or　leaning　against　the　cave　walls。　The　initial　panic　the　group　experienced　had　died　down。　Nothing　had　happened　since　the　kid　had　scared　off　the　next　tour　group；　pointing　his　gun　at　the　members　entering　the　cave　as　he　told　them　to　〃get　out　and　stay　out。〃　The　kid　made　no　demands　or　political　statements；　but　it　was　clear　he　wasn't　going　to　let　anyone　go　either。　Occasionally　his　sister　would　plead　or　try　to　reason　with　him；　but　each　time　she　was　rebuffed。　Finally　she　gave　up　and　sat　in　silence　with　the　rest　of　the　hostages。
　Terry　was　mentally　reviewing　what　he　knew　about　hostage　situations。　If　they　remained　captive　long　enough；　and　if　the　conditions　were　harsh；　some　would　e　to　sympathize　with　the　hostage…takers。　Persistent　anxiety；　with　no　control　over　the　situation；　causes　one　to　identify　with　the　source　of　the　anxiety；　in　this　case　the　kid　with　the　gun。　Terry　remembered　one　case　where　hostages　were　held　in　a　bank　vault　for　three　days。　The　police　turned　off　the　air…conditioning；　poisoned　the　food；　and　provided　minimal　water　while　the　gang　holding　the　hostages　sexually　abused　the　women。　Yet；　when　finally　released；　many　of　the　hostages　expressed　concern　about　what　would　happen　to　their　captors。
　The　two　boys　were　throwing　rocks　in　the　back　of　the　cave。　Terry　turned　to　look　at　them　and　noticed　something　peculiar。　The　military　man　was　no　longer　toward　the　back　of　the　group；　but　in　the　middle。　The　kid　was　sitting　with　his　knees　up　to　his　chest；　and　staring　straight　ahead。　The　gun　was　still　in　his　hand；　although　it　was　pointed　toward　the　ground。　Terry　pulled　his　own　head　to　his　knees；　put　his　arms　on　top；　and　then　lay　his　head　down　sideways　so　he　could　watch　the　military　man。
　It　took　a　long　time；　but　Terry　could　see　what　was　happening。　Every　once　in　a　while　the　military　man　would　stretch　a　leg；　or　an　arm；　or　arch　his　back　and　yawn。　And　every　time　his　leg　came　back　down；　or　he　finished　stretching；　he　would　be　an　inch　or　two　closer　to　the　front。　Terry　watched　him　move　an　arm　and　rock　sideways。　A　few　minutes　later　he　stretched　the　other　arm　and　rocked　back　the　other　way。　He　was　now　two　inches　closer。　It　was　like　watching　a　clock。　It　took　patience；　but　if　you　stared　long　enough　you　could　see　the　minute　hand　move。
　The　military　man's　moves　rekindled　Terry's　sharp　fears；　waves　of　panic　swept　htm。　What　if　the　kid　noticed？　What　if　the　military　man　did　something？　What　if　he　did　something　that　made　the　kid　punish　the　group？　On